Paramedic

Kanawha-County-Emergency-Ambulance-Authority; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority in Charleston, WV seeks an EMT-Paramedic to assess illness or injury, prioritize procedures, drive to response locations, and transport patients to appropriate treatment centers while coordinating with dispatch and medical command.

The role requires ACLS or ACC, CPR, NIMS certifications, and a WV driver’s license with a clean record; you must be able to work variable shifts and endure demanding conditions.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED is required.
• Successful completion of a paramedic program (college or technical school).
• WV driver’s license with a safe driving record.
• ACLS or Advanced Cardiac Care/ACLS certification required.
• CPR certification required.
• NIMS 100, 200, 700 and 800 certifications.

Responsibilities

• Assess the nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
• Drive ambulances to specified locations following dispatcher instructions.
• Assist in rescuing victims and transport patients to treatment centers.
• Operate equipment such as EKGs, defibrillators, or bag valve masks in ALS environments.
• Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures during transport.
• Observe, record and report patient condition and responses to treatment.
• Administer drugs under physician direction or protocol.
• Coordinate work with other EMS team members and police or fire personnel.
• Immobilize patients for stretcher transport and spinal protection.
• Communicate with dispatchers or medical command for instructions.
• Decontaminate ambulance interior after treating infectious patients and document as required.

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Paramedic program (college or technical school)

WV driver’s license

ACLS or ACC certification

CPR certification

NIMS 100, 200, 700, 800

Tools

ECG/EKG equipment

External defibrillators

Bag valve mask

Immobilization devices

Job description

Primary duties of the EMT-Paramedic include, but are not limited to, the following, and are in addition to any duties requested by KCEAA.

• Assess the nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
• Drive ambulances or other vehicles to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
• Assist in rescuing victims as needed and transports sick and injured patients to appropriate treatment center.
• Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGS), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments.
• Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as pacing, decompression, airway management, or cardiac monitoring during ambulance transport.
• Observe, record, and report to physician the patient’s condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment administered.
• Administer drugs via the appropriate route under a physician’s direction or protocol.
• Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
• Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization devices.
• Communicate with dispatchers or medical command center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
• Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with known or suspected infectious disease and report incident as required.
• Completes appropriates documentation of patient’s treatment into KCEAA’s E-PCR (electronic patient care reporting) software.
• Follows daily, weekly and periodic inspection and inventory of supplies, vehicle, station and related equipment as needed or as directed by KCEAA policy and entering proper documentation of the inspection and inventory.
• Comfort and reassure patients.
• Attend training classes to maintain certification, keep abreast of new developments in the field of emergency services, or maintain existing knowledge.

Qualifications

The minimum qualifications for EMT-Paramedic include:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Successful completion of college or technical school paramedic program.
• WV driver’s license with safe driving record.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Advanced Cardiac Care (ACC) certification.
• CPR certification
• NIMS 100, NIMS 200, NIMS 700, NIMS 800

Working conditions

This is a mission critical position. The employee is required to report to work when there is adverse weather, on holidays and on short notice. The EMT-Paramedic must be available for work on any shift as requested by KCEAA. The position may require work beyond the scheduled shift as requested and/or until properly relieved or released. While performing the duties of this job, the EMT-Paramedic may work in outside weather conditions all times of year, near moving mechanical parts and in conditions that could include exposure to fumes, toxic or caustic chemicals and exposure to extreme cold and heat. The EMT-Paramedic may also be exposed to blood, saliva and other body substances, as well as irrational, combative patients and bystanders. The noise level in the work environment is often loud.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical requirements

This position requires the employee to lift, carry, push, and pull a minimum of 150 pounds independently and 300 pounds or more with assistance. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, operate equipment with tools and controls, climb and balance, stoop, kneel and crouch and occasionally maneuver through challenging obstacles. This position also requires the employee to have finger dexterity and manual dexterity. Multilimbed coordination is required as well as arm-hand steadiness.

Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority